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Sunday, July 31, 2016

I definitely knew I hit middle-age when going to department stores, the first area I hit up is the Home & Kitchen section. And, the same thing holds true for online shopping. I spend a lot of time browsing the Home and Kitchen section, too.

Lately, I've been I've been obsessing about pots and pans.

I have all sorts. I have stainless steel. I have cast iron. I have non-stick. I think the more pans, the merrier.

What Kind Of Pan To Use?

I am lucky to have a set of solid stainless steel Salad Master that my MIL gifted me with. I use it to saute vegetables and stir-fry meats.

Just the other day, I was in the mood for garlic rice, and experience has told me so many times that the best pan for fried rice is a non-stick pan. It's a good thing that I have the newest non-stick pan from Lock & Lock, the Hard & Light Frying Pan.

I make a lot of fried rice in my kitchen, and so this pan is surely going to be one of my most used pans.

Since we are on the topic of fried rice, I have compiled three of my best fried rice recipes from my archives that you can try.

When used and stored properly, non-stick pans can last several years. I share with you some tips:

1. Do not use metal utensils. I have learned that even if the manual says metal utensils are allowed, I always just use wooden or heat-resistant silicone utensils. It saves the coating from scratches, and extend the life of my non-stick pan.

2. A little oil will help. Naturally, overtime the non-stick coating will wear off. A thin swipe of oil before cooking will help the non-stick coating last longer.

3. Use the pan only on low to moderate heat. High heat will destroy the non-stick coating faster.

4. Allow the pan to cool down before washing with water. Drastic changes in temperature can damage the nonstick coating, and can even make the pan warp.

5. Wash gently with sponge and soap. Do not ever use a scrubbing pad. I had a maid before who used a scouring pad on my non-stick pan kase "mahirap alisin yung itim." Waaaah!

Hard & Light Cookware by Lock & Lock

Aside from being the best pan to use to cook fried rice, I love my Hard & Light Non-Stick pan by Lock & Lock because it is very affordable, lightweight for easy handling, easy to wash and the non-stick coating allows for the easiest release of food.

In short, the Hard & Light non-stick pan by Lock & Lock is a time-saver for the busy cooks like me.

Even if the pans are scratched, the hard anodized coating makes it virtually safe for the consumers because no chemicals/metals will leak to their food.

Lock & Lock shared with me that their pans are hard anodized. It is scratch resistant which means that compared to regular un-hard anodized pans, it will have less scratches. Going further with their testing, they told me that they have an abrasion machine which scratches their pans with 3~5 pounds of metal. The pans showed scratches, but there were no traces of aluminum detected.

The Phenomenal Woman

Thanks for dropping by! The Phenomenal Mama is a blog about my experiences as a stay-at-home mom as I try to be purposeful & intentional in taking care of my family & home. I am only phenomenal in how I allow God to use my imperfections to do his phenomenally perfect work.